Hack Attack

The continuous assault on the rights of others by the fierce hacks pack on the Saint Lucia Aiming for Progress (SLAP) Facebook platform is tantamount to an infringement of the free speech of others as far as many observers have agreed. This clique appears to be bent on vitriolic and ad hominem attacks on those who dare see things from a different political light. They attack so erratically, they attack their very own, as in fellow Saint Lucia Labour Party Supporters. Persons who disagree with those individuals are considered Labour opponents. This behaviour is confounding, given that SLAP members should know that persons are free to belong to parties of their choice in this democratic country.

The hacks of the Saint Lucia Labour Party need to revisit the genesis of SLAP, the brainchild of Rose-Marie Belle Antoine, first lady and wife of Prime Minister Dr. Kenny Anthony. Indeed Ms. Antoine recently came out with a post to the users of this platform pleading for the administrator to re–instate someone who had been blocked, (obviously for the offence of espousing a different view) from the aggressors on this platform. The first lady graciously sugar-coated her words to the SLAP zealots. However, we believe they need to resolutely be called to order, to adopt some class in their use of the English Language and adopt some respect for fellow patriots. Additionally, many on there need to quell the personal attacks on people who have never transgressed them except that they hold a different view on political issues. Recognize that they too have the right to express themselves.

Has the social media platform founded by Rose-Marie Belle Antoine been turned into a den of venomous vipers?

What a shame. What a slap in the face this entity has become. No one should have to admonish the grownups using SLAP to exercise self-control and political maturity. This group is dragging people through the mud with insults and name calling. This obnoxious attitude is not the sort of enriching, unemotional analysis that an enlightened public will appreciate nor will it promote consensus. If anything, all this anger and negativity is repelling people not only from being a part of SLAP but also from the Saint Lucia Labour Party as they seem to tacitly endorse such distasteful behaviours.

Contrary to their thinking, SLAP has not helped the image of the SLP.

It is dangerous to be a fanatic. It is dangerous to be a zealot. It is dangerous to be a bigot. It is dangerous to be a political hack. These qualities are not beneficial to country and only serve to retard the “progress” of respectful free expression among us.

The media has been the latest whipping boy of SLAP. What is the use of blaming the media when it brings to light the very issues which are bringing the country to its knees? The media’s role is not to make the SLP administration or UWP opposition look good. The incumbent and opposition have their respective teams to manage their image. That sort of imposition on the third estate is unreasonable and inappropriate. It brings to mind the famous challenge issued by journalist Timothy Poleon to persons who are holding the media responsible (for the pathetic state of governance in the place) to not vote for the media this upcoming general election! But then again, misplaced criticism and flawed reasoning is nothing new in the Lucian psychic.

Is the Kenny Anthony-led administration anti-media? Maybe not in principle, yet one may just think that it is, based on what its mouthpieces on social media are posting. Inflammable, petty, anti-media rhetoric, anti-reporter sentiments and unfounded personal attacks have all been the anthem of the Saint Lucia Aiming for Progress Facebook page. This forum does little to ventilate the ideals of the Saint Lucia Labour Party.

So unhealthy and toxic is the air on SLAPS that many of their old participants are now enjoying an alternative, a breath of fresh air on Facebook/Saint Lucia Votes 2016, a newly created platform that has seen many former SLAP followers defecting to an interaction that is more wholesome and positively oriented.